


Closing the Gap

by AudibleEllipsis



Series: Already Found [6]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dreams, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Flying, Gen, Light Swearing, Minor Original Character(s), Tags Updated Every Chapter, That Means Characters Too, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23332972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AudibleEllipsis/pseuds/AudibleEllipsis
Summary: Time passes, people change, and with or without you the future moves forward. Spinel starts working on herself with the help of some human friends, Amethyst has a reunion, and Pearl and Garnet dedicate themselves to making sure everything turns out alright. With higher stakes than ever, everyone does their best to move forward, and prepare for any future that might come. It will be difficult, but none of them are truly alone.Entirely original content.
Relationships: Amethyst & Vidalia (Steven Universe), Garnet & Spinel (Steven Universe), Pearl & Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Steven Universe & Everyone
Series: Already Found [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1488263
Comments: 24
Kudos: 58





	Closing the Gap

**Author's Note:**

> >Gets sick. Decides they don't like any of their drafts. Rearranges everything. Gets sick again. Future fits somewhere in the middle of all that.
> 
> So, anyways, hey, this one took a while, sorry about that. Better late than never though. Look forward to more soon~ish. Also, I promise this starts moving at a rate faster than half a day per chapter lol, just had more I wanted to do here first.

**Pearl** felt an increase in weight against her side and hips, and bolstered to accept it. Steven begged hopefully for one more movie, making devious use of those puppy dog eyes that always seemed to work on Garnet (it was a wonder which side of her kept falling for it, though she suspected Sapphire).

The powerful fusion adjusted her shades. “Only one.”

Pearl scowled, and pressed back against Spinel without paying attention. “They need their rest. Garnet, this is ridiculous.”

The kids went off anyways though. Connie paused on the staircase to yawn, and with their attention turned elsewhere, Garnet gave a passive response. “It’ll work itself out.”

“But… Oh, fine.” It would be foolish not to believe her.

Pearl’s eyes glanced off to Amethyst, who seemed to be in no rush to move. The purple gem had been oddly quiet over the course of the movie, as well as on the way back. _“It’s not my problem,”_ she’d said, before Pearl followed Spinel out. It was… worrying, though she’d hesitate to say so out loud. Amethyst’s responses to her feedback were derisive at the best of times, hostile and targeted at the worst.

And these were _far_ from the best of times.

Pearl’s gaze shifted to the weight across her side. Spinel’s eyes were closed, mouth open slightly, breathing gently in a pattern she recognized so well from Steven. Sleeping.

The pink gem hadn’t even been taught how.

Some part of her wanted to discount it as nothing more than another symptom of the endless affinity Spinel seemed to display for human rituals and their attitudes, but she knew better. The past month had been hard on the pink gem, and it was all she could do to watch it unfold. Pearl held on, anxious for too many reasons to count. It was a wonder what Spinel thought when she returned these gestures. The comfort. The assurance. The words. Did it help at all? Was it enough?

Was _she_ enough?

_“Tainted by Rose, you’re nothing but a mockery of your potential…”_

It wasn’t a taint.

Under Rose’s care, she’d grown and laughed and loved so much more than she ever could have on Homeworld. If anything, Rose had been the one to bring color to her pale existence. Rose had been _strong_ , too, not just in the material sense, but emotionally. Mentally. Courage, strength, belief, so much of it had been Rose’s at first, but even now she felt the distance that divided them so keenly. Conviction was hard to come by alone, and as she continued attempting to embody the traits of Rose’s legacy, it only seemed to make her feel… shallow, by comparison.

The children’s steps sounded off the final stairs.

Pearl blinked, lips set to a thin line, and directed wan eyes forward in what she hoped was nothing more than a convincing display of the exhaustion she felt after the day’s events. The TV flickered to life again, the movie played, and no more than ten minutes later when she glanced over to see how Connie and Steven were doing, both had fallen asleep. The sight was half-familiar, and as their fragile shapes rose and fell beneath the blanket, slumped against one another, it brought to mind once more the things that she was not. 

Garnet had been right, of course. The problem ‘worked itself out’ after all.

It was… an incredibly important quality to have. Being right all the time.

Among others.

Among their innate strength, and calm… Among the love and assurance, shared and reciprocated, both within and without. Among their speed, and precision, and the innate understanding that seemed to come with being able to see the outcome of decisions before they’re even made. Among _knowing_ , fundamentally, what the best thing to do for everyone’s sake would be, without even having to try. 

Pearl frowned.

There had been so many times that jealousy burned a hole through her in the Rebellion. So many other Gems that stood out, with impeccable aim, with resistance to the elements, with self-sustaining pride and humor and passion to keep morale high with more than just bombastic speeches and deeds. Her words had been loud, of course, and oh how they carried. And she’d shown more than a few Gems who thought her place was still in service just how wrong they’d been, but it seldom felt like enough.

So often, it felt like she wasn’t _doing_ enough. Like she couldn’t _be_ enough. Straining, blade raised high, shouting, leading charges, tearing through fire and mayhem and giving directions, trying to keep calm, to lead by example even then, but when it was over, when the losses were too hard to voice aloud, when the evidence was too much, when the dirt was glassed over and the sun bled angry red through unnatural smoke, in success or failure, she simply never knew what to _say_. What could she offer, but the facts? But that those sacrifices had been important-- for a cause worth fighting for? Worth _believing_ in?

What could she offer, but ideas of a better future?

(Ideas, that hardly ever quelled rightful fury about the present.)

Pearl felt Spinel nestle a little deeper into her shoulder, and was brought back to a world she could still touch.

Now… Now she still didn’t know what to say. Perhaps what had been said before would be enough, but then again, perhaps not. She wasn’t Rose, and never had been, no matter how much of the Gem’s legacy she tried to carry onwards. That natural empathy, the way she always knew what words to voice and which to keep, where to put her hands, so soft and lovely and _caring_ … that had never been her. Her own hands were hard now, and she’d always been a bit difficult to hold. Some small laugh escaped, eyes drooping shut, thinking fondly of the needling Rose always had over such things.

As a vessel overflowing, she could only hope to contain the most precious parts. It was impossible to grasp Rose fully. The details of her actions, the scope of her reasoning, it felt so far beyond her. And yet… she wanted to try. And _keep_ trying, until it made sense. Perhaps it was all in vain, nothing more than a shallow attempt to measure up to some impossible standard, but it felt so _clear_ , holding onto Spinel, that those efforts still mattered.

Her head came to a rest atop Spinel’s, one arm dangling over the pink gem’s shoulder. Perhaps if…

Perhaps if sleep was really so good for stress… and if the pink gem was trying it too… 

she could as well.

pearl closed her eyes, and tried to match the slow, full breathing of the gem beneath her… 

☆☆☆~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~☆☆☆

“Excellent form, Connie! Steven, be sure to watch more closely!”

The sky seemed far, and pink, and that pink seemed to permeate everything. It was like a glow that was hard to look in the direction of, but she had to in order to look back at her prized pupils, faces blotted out. The valley was deep, and rolled away casually, full of bright blue, five-petalled flowers.

“Swords in hand, alright? Are you ready?”

The words rolled around, thick in the fog of her mind, easy to pick at for no end. Everything was fine. Both children nodded, and turned to face each other again, wordlessly. No, their mouths moved but she didn’t hear it. Pearl strained, but it felt unimportant. The ground began to shift beneath her feet, rolling down the hill. She stepped forward to fight it, but the hill only seemed to speed up, or she seemed to slow down. Her hand reached out, but the words were lost in the wind, petals kicking up and sailing across the light. That pink flared, and Pearl found herself running forward, faced with two Gems she’d trained once.

An Ochre Pearl and a Scapolite, both once belonging to the same terrible Heliodor.

“Swords in hand, alright? Are you ready?”

The pink blot out their faces as well. Were they ready? Had she done enough?

There was no way to know. The field continued to roll under her feet, and it was everything she could do to keep up with the others, Homeworld Quartzes of all kinds coming from several angles. The pink fogged over, and cannon-fire from somewhere else flung dirt and petals and stability out. She tumbled, unprepared, unreal, like her limbs were somehow sinking through it all, and the thunderous sound of a massive fused Quartz on who-knew what side became static as the ground turned to petals and she fell, vision blurring in pink and blue before finally solidifying again when something like ground found itself beneath her feet and she turned.

Rose was facing her. Tall, foreboding, the only face still visible in it all. The broad Gem’s lips moved.

“Swords in hand, alright? Are you ready?”

☆☆☆~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~☆☆☆

Pearl jerked forward, standing quickly, eyes wild as a small gasp escaped unbidden.

There was… no one else. No one awake, anyways. Spinel slumped down into the empty space where she’d been, still deeply asleep. Garnet and Amethyst were nowhere to be found, and Steven and Connie were in nearly the same position, if leaned farther to one side.

And yet, there were noises.

Muffled. Quiet. Pearl turned to see the projected glow of Spinel’s gem beneath the blanket, image nonsensical when distorted by all the rumples. She reached out, carefully, to smooth some. Perhaps it would be possible to make out the sounds if she came closer, but… it looked peaceful. Whatever it was, dream or memory, it looked _peaceful_.

Hand outstretched, Pearl backed away. Her fingers closed in a gentle fist, and spread again as she pressed them through her hair. Sleep was supposed to restore energy, but instead she just felt drained. A few more steps and her back pressed against the kitchen island. 

The past was important still, of course, but there were some days when it felt plainly inescapable. And it was so, _so_ endlessly easy to become lost in it. Despite every effort to compartmentalize, despite every layered idea and memory hidden behind thing after thing, it was still possible for the worst of it to surface without warning.

Peridot’s boots gleamed a pale shade in the low glow of moonlight across the horizon, casting long shadows over everything. They came into her grasp without much thought.

_Something to work on. That’s all I need._

Something hollow made itself known in her throat, but when she shook her head to dismiss it, it only seemed to remain in her chest. Pearl’s steps across the warp pad were faint, but as she came to the door, that hollow feeling forced her to linger.

The pads of her fingers traced over the icon of each gem, before catching on Rose’s. There were so few of them left.

Pearl swallowed. Jealousy felt different now. It was still a weapon of improvement, but the blade had dulled and callused hands had squeezed grooves into the hilt. But Rose couldn’t be a taint, because… 

Because she’d taught her how to love.

And no matter what else might have transpired, no matter what might come next, the love she had for everyone now would be enough to keep her going. For Steven, and Connie, and Garnet, and Amethyst, and Spinel now, and everyone else. Rose couldn’t be a taint, because _love_ was the most important thing they could have ever shared, and it was something each and every one among them deserved, no matter what they’d done.

Even if… Even if sometimes, it felt as though Rose might not have given herself fully to that idea. 

Pearl opened the door to her room, and set the boots beside the escape pod on a saucer of falling water. Under the dull golden glow of simulated stars, she set to work. And when thoughts of the lost and the past crept up on her, she did her best to see them in a new light.

* * *

**Amethyst** rolled onto her back, head turned over, and watched absently as Steven and Connie got up to pick out a second movie. Pearl huffed about something dumb, and Garnet turned out to be right, because _duh_. The kids conked out, and about halfway through the movie, somehow even Pearl managed to fall asleep. Garnet had been sitting in the same pose forever, and with those shades it was anyone’s game if the G-Squad were trying out sleep too, or just thinking really, _really_ hard. Either way, same as the little humans, Spinel and Pearl managed to fall into a pile.

Staring ahead, the colors of the screen turned to mush as her eyes glazed over.

A weird mix of emotions had been rolling around in her head all day. Mostly disappointment and disinterest, but there were probably about a hundred other things too. Getting like this wasn’t so bad normally-- break a few things, rearrange some ~~memories~~ junk, and then get over it. But, today, it all felt so… 

Ugly. 

Amethyst stifled a groan. A couple decades ago, things had never been this complicated or annoying. They weren’t the best either, exactly, but at least they always worked out.

Before Steven, there just wasn’t any reason to try and figure out what was wrong with who or why or what-- her and Garnet and Pearl just… were. If problems came up (and they sure as hell did) then they either solved themselves by getting too big to be kept in and everyone butt heads over whatever it was for a little while, or it turned out to be a problem that wasn’t even worth getting loud about in the first place.

In fact, while Rose had been around, most things weren’t even worth _starting_ to get loud about. Now, it was like a never-ending list.

The other Gems seemed to think there were so many things she ‘needed’ to be, or things she was ‘supposed’ to be, but Rose never felt that way at all! _Rose_ thought all of them were perfect the way they were-- no one needed to change, but more importantly, they couldn’t. At least, not the way humans could.

Most of her own problems had been there from day one. She was _made_ small. Not that strong, not that smart, not able to see into the future or heal gems or humans or make copies of herself or animate plants or even store a bunch of stuff in her gem. All she _could_ do was curl into a spinning ball, and if she tried hard enough, that ball was on _fire_.

At least it fit.

Turning into a useless, flaming ball was what it felt like most days were worth. It was just never enough to be herself. She was always, _always_ \---

 _“Shucks, I wish I could fly like you.”_ Spinel’s voice cut in. _“Just look at all that **blue** ~!! I… always thought it’d be nice ta, be able to see it from all the way up there. It must be **amazing**.”_

The bitter thoughts stopped.

Well, maybe there were a few things she could do.

 _But…_

“But part of why shape-shifting’s so easy for me is _because_ I’m--”

Strange sounds started drifting through the room (or maybe they had been for a while). Amethyst sat up suddenly, gripping a cushion. None of the noises matched up with the movie, so her eyes turned, half-expecting to see Pearl and Spinel muttering again. It was embarrassing enough to think she’d let something slip at all, but if either of them had been awake to hear it too--, but, no, that wasn’t it. For some reason Pearl’s gem was glowing, head tilted back over the sofa and projecting something onto the ceiling at an angle.

_What the…? Is she, dreaming?_

Whatever it was, the Pearl up there couldn’t seem to stop running. There was smoke, and fire, and impossible to understand blurs. The white gem’s hands shot out desperately, trying to take hold of something, only for it to slip away at the last possible moment.

Amethyst blinked slowly, and left the house.

Whatever Pearl’s problems were, she didn’t need to see them too.

The door snapped shut behind, single loud click enough to break the almost total-silence of the beach. Amethyst eyed the plastic chairs off to the side, but came to a stop at the railing instead, unable to sit down just yet. The wind, cold and harsh, blew her hair back, eyes drawn naturally outward.

Closer to the edge now the moon cast long, pale reflections across the dark, choppy water, taking barely any color on from the deeply cloudy violet sky above. It was like the entire world had been cast in the same lazy pallette-- full of subdued, dark, washed out colors. 

It was unbelievably late, but, somehow, sleep still felt out of reach. 

The tide came in, and then out. Over. And over.

Everything felt stopped up. It was too big to be sorted away, impossible and wrong. 

Amethyst turned around, watching the others through the window. Pearl had leaned a little farther onto Spinel, and one of the pink gem’s arms wrapped around one of Pearl’s a few times over. They wouldn’t be needing her in the morning.

The purple gem pivoted again, and faced the railing. She took a few steps back, and then huffed. Detail started to fade from the world, and what couldn’t be shoved aside was reduced, forced into the shape of something smaller. It was a feeling, and she had to feel it right. 

Her footfalls punched holes through the silence, hammering against the deck as she ran forward at full pelt. Her limbs rose to meet the edge of the railing and kicked off, sailing high and fast over the earth below. Gravity threatened to take hold, but defiant feelings surfaced and outright denied the idea. There was _nothing_ that could hold her down. Amethyst’s gem glowed, form shifting inward and then outward rapidly, a lavender owl’s wide wings spreading in a burst of light that chased the shadows away. 

With speed, the warm shape glid over the dyed-black sands, taking on the wind as it came and pitching back to catch the fullest brunt of an updraft possible. Higher. Higher. Wide eyes focused on the cliff’s edge, banking a hard right as soon as they passed it. Wings tucked in momentarily to dive through a partition in the fence, the shape of the hill beyond rolling and bending away. Faster, they chased the shape of it all in a break-neck dive, belly brushing against the tall indigo grass that waved beneath, and in a blink the descent was over, grass turning to sand, so they took all that speed and rocketed into the sky.

And then. Slowly.

All of that momentum bled away. The town got farther and farther. And a few hundred feet up, everything felt small again.

… Minutes whistled past in the wind, whole world dead beneath.

The isolation didn’t last long. Completely alone, it finally felt possible to think again, even if it only led to the same circular ‘conversation’ that always seemed to take place. All starting with the same stupid question.

_‘ **Am I** supposed to be something?’_

The whole point of the war was supposed to have been that once it was over, no one would have to listen to anyone telling them what to do or be ever again. Only, it wasn’t really over, and probably wouldn’t be for a while. Maybe ever.

The Gems never said a lot about what-all went down, but it’s not like she was stupid. Obviously things had gotten pretty dire sometimes. In fact, it was hard _not_ to notice whenever something from way back then was still hitting them now. And, it was all just tiny stuff, like, little things, but… 

(But there was still _something_ about the way Pearl went rigid those first few steps they took into a Kindergarten, no matter how many times they’d been there before. Something _wrong_ about the way even Garnet got unsettled by some of the things they’d seen in those ‘containment sites’ now that the war was over and they could finally clean them out right. And, there was something that, kinda hurt, about the way Rose got a little distant whenever the Diamonds came up, rare as it was. It mattered still in a way she couldn’t get, but…)

But it _didn’t_ matter. At least, not to the way things should’ve been now.

Maybe back in the day it made a lot more sense to be so strict and uptight. Maybe everything made a little more sense to Garnet and Pearl back then. The only way she could try to understand it was to think about how things had been before and after Rose left them, but that was hardly the same. It was difficult to put into words _why_ having that disconnect was so frustrating-- even if it was probably for the best-- but... 

That was less important.

The part that _really_ mattered was that being so uptight now was stupid. What was the point of fighting for freedom in the future if they weren’t free to act how they wanted to now? What did it matter if she messed with people every now and then, so long as no one actually got hurt? And why did it matter if every day wasn’t worth her a-game, so long as she got serious when a monster showed up? The difference should have been obvious, but apparently to Garnet and Pearl it just wasn’t enough.

The Gems trusted her to act ‘right’ some of the time, but, mostly,

 _“Amethyst. That was very mature of you.”_ Garnet was still condescending.

 _“Amethyst, what a surprise! You’re taking interest in a piece of Gem culture?”_ And _Pearl_ was even worse. Even if she hadn’t been 100% ‘Pearl’ lately.

 _“I’m everything you could be, and you’re everything that holds a team back.”_ Even that Homeworld sleazebag thought she wasn’t enough. 

And then, there was Spinel.

_“If… that’s what you want.”_

Amethyst’s wings flapped idly. It didn’t feel fair. New as she was, Spinel had to be dealing with a lot of the same stuff, or at least parts of it. Their expectations for each other and everyone else were probably completely different, but it’s not like she’d had the same amount of exposure, either. If they talked, maybe things could get a bit easier, but, fact of the matter was that the pink gem just wasn’t hers to manage. Whatever Spinel was feeling, it wasn’t her problem. Same thing for Pearl, or Garnet, or anyone else.

Blinking back to the world, Amethyst eased into a casual descent, peeling speed away by making lazy sweeps across the low-lit ‘city’ streets. The last of her speed was almost gone. Even with everything going on, flight hadn’t felt that good in a while.

Tired or not, it was hard to avoid getting sucked into the kind of enthusiasm Spinel had for moving. It felt different from the way Steven got excited about everything, like there was a bit more substance to the words. It sort of reminded her of the way Rose used to talk. But, that was probably unfair to Steven. Last night proved just how much he meant the things he said too.

Swooping through one last street, Amethyst spotted a no-parking sign, flapped a few times to slow down, and angled her talons out to brace for a surprisingly easy landing. Over the horizon, the smallest shreds of pink were starting to appear.

“... Guess I should find a place to sleep or something.”

There was a small gasp behind her. “... Amethyst?”

The voice was rougher than she remembered, and sort of scratchy, but it was too familiar to be anyone else. The owl’s neck turned almost all the way around before spotting her down by the end of the driveway, with a familiar mop of blonde hair and what looked like a half-finished canvas.

“Vidalia?” The response came automatically.

“Amethyst, oh, it’s been _years_!” The old punk shouted. The canvas in her hands was turned away and set against the side of the house, mostly out of sight. Whatever curiosity she might’ve had over that, though, was quickly pushed aside in favor of all the positive emotions that came from seeing one of her closest friends for the first time in years. “What have you been up to!?”

Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Vidalia had gotten a lot older. There were lines across her face, and her hair was more platinum than blonde, really. Time had been a lot kinder to her than most, but all of that paled in comparison to the old punk’s clothes. A light blue sweater, some baggy pants, and some pink beat-to-hell slippers.

“What have I been up to?” Amethyst crooned, managing to grin with a beak. “What are you _wearing_!?” It was about as far from ‘punk’ as she could imagine.

Vidalia chuckled, looking smug. “Only the comfiest damn things I’ve ever owned.” And pointed across the way. “If you ask me, it’s a whole lot better than all the nothing _you’ve_ got on, little miss natural wonder.”

“Good thing I didn’t then.” Amethyst taunted back, spreading her wings to strike a pose. “‘Sides, you’re just jealous cuz you don’t know what having feathers feels like. Trust me, all natural is the _way to go_.”

Vidala smirked. “Funny. Pretty sure the last time I heard that, it was from a bear right before she got caught raiding a snack table and hauled off by a park ranger.”

Amethyst chuckled. “Oh, _man_. Yeah, but it was worth it to crash that stuck-up’s party anyways.”

Keeping eye contact, a beat of silence passed before it started to feel a little… forced? No, not forced, but something was definitely up. The meeting wasn’t awkward, they were both happy to see each other, obviously, but, there was still _something_.

Vidalia picked up the conversation, gesturing with one hand. “No, but really, it’s been years, how have you been?”

“Oh, you know.” Amethyst let the owl form fade and shifted across the sign, folding her legs and gesturing back with practiced ease. “Alive.”

“Ha!” The old punk eased off some at that. “I sure hope so. Be a shame if I started going crazy _this_ early.”

Neither of their smiles got any tighter. Amethyst redirected, hoping to fix whatever was going on. “So, what’s the deal with that thing?” She nodded to where the canvas was. “You still painting?”

“Oh, yeah.” Vidalia folded her arms, head turning back. “Actually, I’ve been painting you here and there lately.”

Amethyst tilted her head, and noticed the light pouring out from under the tarp that blocked off the garage. Her friend kept talking. “I’ve just been… I dunno, trying to get back into the swing of things, you know?”

Some familiar feelings started to come to the surface. Looking at the concern on Vidalia’s face, it was like being sprawled out on the floor of some cheap motel all over again. Like hitching rides and looking out the back of pick-ups sitting across from each other, shooting the breeze about anything and everything. No fear, no judgement, just… talking.

Amethyst frowned, hesitating for only a second. “Is… something wrong? Marty still giving you trouble, or…?”

“What?” Vidalia looked back, confused, then half-smiled. “Pfft. Nah. I kicked that dirtbag out of my life years ago.” And paused, looking down then up again. “Oh, wow. I guess it really has been a while.”

The glow of the moonlight was pretty weak by now, but what was left served fine enough to make the ring on Vidalia’s hand shine when she held it up. “I’ve been married to someone else for a few years now. We had a kid a while back too.”

Amethyst blinked. “Woah. What’s their name?”

“Onion. He started elementary last year.” She blinked. “Oh! Haha, unless you, meant the married part, then his name’s Yellowtail. He’s a, uh, fisherman. Don’t think you two have ever met, actually.” Her smile was fond, lines crinkling under her eyes.

“Sounds like I missed a lot.” Was all Amethyst could manage.

“Well, you know how it is. Life never stops.” A gust blew past, causing Vidalia to cringe. “Ugh, come on, let’s head in. Didn’t mean to be out here for so long anyways.”

“Oh, uh, sure.”

After a short walk Vidalia pulled back the tarp, revealing the inside for only a second before Amethyst squeezed past herself. It was a lot to take in all at once.

There were shelves upon shelves of supplies, mostly for art, but detergent and other ‘house stuff’ too. There was a clear path sort of bordered by paint cans, some open, some not, leading off to the side where a blank canvas was sitting in the light by a couple stools. Looking over to the right, a heater adjoined to one of the windows was working its magic, cranking along, and above, bright yellow lights hung from thin metal, making the whole place look a little golden. There were a few paintings of herself, some she recognized from years ago, some that had to be more recent. They were on the walls, resting on the floor, a few framed over the counter-top, but no matter where they were, each one was pretty flattering.

“Woah…” Amethyst took it all in as best she could. It felt weird to think about Vidalia as someone who’d settled down.

“You like em?” Vidalia asked, and by the look on her face, she already knew the answer.

“Yeah, of course.” Amethyst grinned. “You’ve always been really good at this stuff.” The purple gem’s eyes turned over to a long portrait of the docks, full of life, and motion. Dark blues sprayed against the shore in a reserved palette that made the whole day look sort of temporary, but important at the same time. Vidalia’s best stuff had always been people, so it was cool to see all the landscapes hanging around now too. “So, what’s up with all the me?”

Vidalia sat on one of the stools, while Amethyst hopped up on the other. “That’s part of the, uh, ‘swing of things’ stuff I was talking about earlier. I’ve been sort of… how to put it? Trying to get ‘inspired’.”

“Yeah?” Amethyst nodded, prompting her.

“Yeah.” Vidalia began candidly. Watching her talk, it really felt like not a single year had passed since they’d last heard each other. “It’s a whole jumble of stuff, I guess, but, see, my kids have been growing up so _fast_ , and just about every day one of them reminds me about all the _things_ they wanna do.” She pointed up and away, to something on the second floor probably. “You remember Sour Cream?”

“Yeah. Little dude’s got some good friends now.” Amethyst said casually, and couldn’t help smiling at the way Vidalia reacted to that.

“He does…” A pause, before she cleared her throat. “Anyways, so, he wants to be a DJ now, even though it drives my husband _nuts_. And Onion, whenever he decides to open up, already seems to know exactly what he wants and how he’s gonna get it. I mean, heck, even Yellowtail’s been looking to expand the business a little. It felt like it came outta nowhere at first, but, I think he just wants to set the best example he can for the kids.”

A wistful look came across Vidalia’s face, spinning the ring on her finger. Amethyst cupped her chin in one hand, sharing in some of that happiness. “And that made you start thinking about _me_?” The gem teased. “I don’t know how well humans remember stuff, but I don’t think I’d go as far as calling _anything_ we did together a good example for kids.”

The old punk snorted at that. “I’m getting there, sheesh, keep your gem on.” Vidalia’s eyes raised to meet hers. “What I mean is, it got me thinking about what _I’d_ been doing. I’ve been painting on commission here and there for a few years-- friends, tourists, city projects, whatever, but, when I really stopped to think about it, I realized I hadn’t done something for just myself in a long time. A-And I mean, not just painting, but other things too. And the longer I kept thinking about it, I realized…” She shrugged. “I didn’t _have_ anything I wanted to do.”

Amethyst frowned, unable to help herself. “And that made you--”

“No, no no no no.” Vidalia raised a hand, and she eased some. “The part where you come in is, i-it made me start thinking about how _you_ always knew what you wanted to do. I mean, no hesitation, no fear, no question, you just _went for it_. You trashed parties, you punked strangers, you went wherever you wanted to, and never, _ever_ held back from letting someone know how you felt.”

“Wh-What?” The purple gem blushed, waving a hand. “No way, that was always you! I was just like, a dumb sponge, following you around… All I knew how to do was whatever _I_ wanted to do.”

The artist snapped her fingers. “But that’s just it. You _knew_ what you wanted. No complicated questions, no fuss, the only thing that mattered was that everyone was still having a good time.”

Amethyst shifted a little on her seat, eyes narrowed, unable to keep eye contact. Vidalia’s expression was searching for a moment, before she planted both hands on her knees and gasped a little. “Oh, oh, like, remember that road trip with Greg and Laura? That _Kings of the Street_ concert was total garbage, and the motel pretty much stiffed us with a room that didn’t even have a lock on it, and everyone was complaining about how much better it would’ve been if we made plans to see _Soft Bodies_ instead, just a few cities over. No plan, no extra cash, but you promised we’d be alright if we just ‘winged it’.” She’d forgotten about that day. Vidalia kept going, and together they got invested all over again.

“We had to bully Greg into it a little since he was our ride, but when we got there, you turned into Security and got us through no problem. And then, I don’t remember how you got the money, but somehow after it was over you came up with enough scratch for us to get into a two-star hotel with _room service_. Easily one of the best nights I’ve ever had, and all it took was you saying things would work out.”

Amethyst’s mouth hung open for a minute, some of the thoughts she’d had while flying going around in circles all over again. The rest of the night and the morning after played out in her mind. It was really that easy just a few years ago. 

“... Man. I guess I really have changed.”

Vidalia’s smile vanished, expression turning to concern. “Something up?”

The purple gem blew hot air, brushing aside stray locks and rubbing at the back of her neck, uneasy. “Ugh. I don’t even know where to start.”

The old punk hiked a knee up to rest her chin on, expression easy. “Just start with whatever’s on your mind then.”

For a moment. Just a moment. ‘It’s not your problem’ was on the tip of her tongue. But, it really didn’t even get time to form as a thought before it was thrown away. Despite how many years it’d been, Vidalia’s problems still felt like her own, and going by her friend’s expression, the opposite was still just as true. “... Yeah, alright.”

Amethyst leaned forward a little too, not quite able to keep eye contact, and more often than not just looking at her friend’s knee. “I guess… things have just been complicated. I mean, looking back, I don’t know that I actually knew what I was _doing_ , more like… I-I don’t think I knew anything else _to_ do.” Words started and died in her throat before she managed to push more out. “But, that’s whatever, I guess. I dunno. It’s just that, with Rose gone, things have been so different. And, sometimes that’s great, because of Steven, but then there are times where it feels just _awful_ , and I don’t know how to deal with it.”

Vidalia half-laughed, prompting her to look up. “Man, I used to be so impressed by her. Anyone who could get Greg to shape up had to be someone pretty special.”

Amethyst laughed too, and it helped to off-set the mood. Her eyes shifted to that painting of the beach for a while. “Yeah. But, uh, thing is, it’s not like she _asked_ Greg to do any of that, you know? He just did. For the longest time, I thought getting all serious like that just made him lamer, but… there was this thing, a couple months ago where I...”

Sorting through all the things in his storage took a while. There'd been a lot of ~~junk~~ memories in there, too. “Anyways, now I can tell it’s a good thing because he’s someone Steven can depend on, and, I guess he’s always been that for me, and maybe the rest of the Gems too? But, I just never saw it that way.”

Vidalia tilted her head. “Because, it was hard to get past when he was kind of a bum?”

The gem took a breath, feeling something hard in her gut. “I think it was because… I was always so focused on what he _couldn’t_ do. Gems can’t change the way humans do, and, obviously he’s not a gem but, I don’t know if I ever thought about it that way. I-It’s something _Rose_ used to talk about every now and then, and it’s sort of why we’re falling apart without her.”

“You lost a friend.” Vidalia offered sympathetically.

“... Yeah.” It didn’t feel like that covered half of it. 

The wind blew outside, and pressed against the windowpanes. She kept going. 

“Sometimes, it’s like they think they’re the only ones that miss her.” A few beats passed. The wind was still going, and despite having emptied herself out over so many things she almost never talked about, the next topic still made her hesitate. But, looking up, Vidalia was still listening, eyes intent (if a little droopy).

So, Amethyst groaned again, pushed a hand along her face, braced against the stool, and stumbled over some words. “Ughh, I don’t even know why I’m talking about this stuff. I guess what I really want to do is, like, talk to someone specific. I think she’s going through some of the same things, I-I just don’t. Want to force it, it’s…” _Not my problem_.

Vidalia hummed again, seeming to pick up on the unspoken words. “Were you going to talk to her about some of this ‘stuff’?”

“Uh… I guess? Probably, yeah.”

“Might be why you started with it then.” Her mouth was hidden behind a knee now, but she could tell Vidalia was grinning.

“... oh.” Yeah, that would make sense. Some laughter bubbled over. “Anyone ever tell you you were the smart one while you were with Marty?”

“Only everyone.” She returned casually. “But mostly bouncers after I tried to convince that light-weight he couldn’t handle a third shot of anything.”

That only got her to laugh harder. “ _Man_ , what a tool.”

“You’re telling me.” Vidalia rolled her eyes, then readjusted, sitting on the stool a bit more normally. “So, that help at all? You want to keep going?”

Amethyst shrugged, placing her palms on either side of her stool. “Not much else to say. I guess… I just need to figure out how to be the old me. Or something. I mean, I still don’t know what I’m gonna say, but…” A beat passed, and she looked up with sincerity. “Thanks.”

“Any time.” Vidalia smiled warmly. “You’re always welcome here, Amethyst. Just, don’t make a habit out of showing up past midnight if you can help it. Those kids make sure I need every hour of sleep I can get.” A yawn escaped her, on cue.

“Ha, sure.” The gem gave an apologetic smile, hopping off. “Sucks that I couldn’t help you with your thing though. You want me to come by and model again or something?”

Vidalia hummed. “I think that’d be fun, but… you’ve actually already helped me tonight.” And she got a wry smile that looked to take a few years off her face. “Here, follow me.”

A few seconds later, they were back outside, next to the turned away canvas. Vidalia picked it up and flipped it over. More shreds of pink were peeking out over the horizon, and it wasn’t the best light, but it was enough to see a lot of the details in the work. On display was an incomplete city-scape, view zoomed out to about building height, set at night with only half a sky filled in. Cars zoomed across a multi-lane highway, smudge-like people walking on the streets or doing whatever else, and more. “I was actually about to throw this out before you got here. More of that good timing of yours, I guess.”

The thought of losing that much work hit her hard. “What’s wrong with it? Just looks unfinished to me.”

Vidalia chuckled, sounding tired. “Well, there’s actually a lot of perspective errors, for one. They’re not things you’d notice at first glance, but if you keep looking you’ll find ‘em. While I was working on it, having to look at every little mistake just drove me _nuts_. After a while, I just couldn’t take it any more. Thought after this I might start over on it, or move onto something else.”

Amethyst looked it over for problems, but didn’t see any. If Vidalia said they were there, though, she believed her. “But now you want to keep it?”

“Sort of.” She took a breath. “I thought painting you would make doing new things easier. Most of the time, though, I just wondered why I didn’t have all that easy confidence you did. It always felt like nothing intimidated you, but… I guess, hearing you’ve been dealing with problems too has given me a lot of perspective. Doesn’t fix everything that’s wrong with _this_ thing, but, I don’t feel as bad about it any more. I’ll just do better next time.”

Amethyst nodded slowly, taking it in. She’d always had a talent for making big stuff sound simple.

Vidalia got that thinking face she did sometimes, and after a little while turned the canvas over, presenting it. “Here.”

“Wh-- You want _me_ to have it?”

“Yeah.” She just nodded. “Fill it in, hang it up, do whatever you want. I just think it fits you. Maybe more than all the ‘you’ I’ve been drawing so far.”

Amethyst reached out and took it gently, feeling warm. And then set aside the painting, going in for a hug. Vidalia was surprised at first, but got down on one knee to make it more of a full-bodied hug. The gem spoke up, quiet.

“Sorry I missed out on so much. I should’ve been around for you.”

“It’s alright.” Vidalia returned, rubbing a circle into her back. “We’ve got time to catch up.” And they broke apart. Vidalia chuckled again. “Why don’t you stop by tomorrow? My husband’s supposed to be getting back from sea in the afternoon, and I’m sure he’d love to meet you. And, if that doesn’t work, the friday after next me and the gals get together every couple weeks for cards. We could use some company.”

“Sounds good.” Amethyst picked up the canvas again.

Vidalia yawned through a smile, and then waved as the gem walked away. They said their goodbyes, and by the time she got back to the temple, not a lot had changed. Pearl and Garnet were both gone, but the others were still asleep. Shreds of red and orange were blending into the pink on the horizon, morning sun not far off. In her room, water flowed and pooled, bordering all the mostly-sorted piles of things, and not far from where the rest of Vidalia’s surviving artwork sat, Amethyst hung this one on a fragment of wall sticking out. The work was half-finished, but it still looked like a full art-piece to her. Maybe she’d fill it in, maybe it’d just sit there. It was up to her now, after all.

And a few hours later, when one of the only working clocks in the whole place said it was six, she went out to make sure Connie (and Steven) would be ready when her parents came around. It was a lot easier than being there for a different person, somehow still asleep, but it was a start.

And that was good enough for now.

* * *

**Garnet** sat stone still, finding balance now that things had grown quiet. Her halves came together at the middle, and struck out for certain futures with eyes closed, accompanied by the peaceful snores and drifting breaths of the ones they both (and her together) loved so very very much.

The future was tumultuous. It was a cascade of unlimited possibility that had recently threatened to become nearly indecipherable. The arrival of a new gem with ties to Pink Diamond was an unforeseen possibility, and the catalyst that had created a million splinters of uncertainty. Spinel was as potentially dangerous an element as she was a Gem in need, harmed by the Empire that had wronged all of them. It was a situation not unlike many in the Rebellion, though until now it had never been her responsibility to decide who would and would not be allowed to join their cause.

Rose would have been much better suited to helping the pink gem adjust, so it was a relief when much of that had already been done by Spinel herself. It gave Garnet time to think; to See points where her presence might be the most required, and to focus on protecting Steven, who had begun to steadily defy more and more of her predictions. 

There was a calm certainty within herself. The wisdom to see where adjustments might need to be made, and the courage to take action. The knowledge that change occurs at all times, in endless flux, and the optimism and grit to see it through anyways. All parts of her shared a belief in themselves, and a desire to keep the family they still had (which had likely just grown) safe, and happy.

But the process had become strained. 

Even during the War, where there had been countless potential answers to an innumerable amount of challenges, there had also been a great deal of information to work with as well. The paths to successful outcomes revealed themselves with time and effort, often by focusing on three details: A source, a location, and an intent.

Rumors of the enemy creating installations along the ocean’s shelves weren’t difficult to investigate, because there was a source (the Meta-Autunite who leaked the information), a location (this continent’s east coast), and an intent (there were only so many reasons the installations could have been built). Working together to remove as many implausible variables as possible was what made navigating the future, and not just seeing the most likely outcome, manageable.

While chasing after the Homeworld gems, there was a likely intent (reactivating the Kindergarten or maintaining fusion in the ocean), and a location, with only so many spaces available to achieve those goals. Soon, when they began their search for Peridot, they would only have one of those reliably. The intent to leave the Earth before something happened. And while attempting to predict Spinel, it felt as though they barely ever had one of those details.

It was difficult to pinpoint precisely _why_ their Vision slipped off the Gem so often, but only because the answer seemed to change every time. Spinel’s talent for learning, and willingness to adapt, made her difficult to predict. Spontaneity and creative thought were hardly bad traits for a gem to have, but in the context of the future, it was a risk that needed to be minimized. At once, their Sight turned on that goal, and as it always seemed to with Spinel, revealed itself as a wide river that split into a nigh endless series of streams and creeks.

_We should account for her behavior somehow._

The thought rang clear. Decisive. Timelines based on inactivity disappeared, mostly having consisted of small and tapering outliers anyways.

_Spending time together will help us build harmony together, and let Spinel become better adjusted to a typical mission._

This time, far more of the streams veered away, leaving very few strong possibilities. The interior of downed ships, scattered locations of long undisturbed battlegrounds, and several remaining Homeworld sites flashed by. It was too soon to make a decision, but they were all destinations to keep in mind, ready to be analyzed again when the time came.

The most active part of her wanted to See down as possibilities as manageable in one location, to be better prepared, but another part of her rejected the idea. It would defeat the purpose of learning about the new Gem, and adjusting accordingly. Difficult as it was for them, this goal would require patience, and a great deal of it. However, still needing something to do, all parts of her agreed to turn onto a new goal.

Steven.

Somehow, he had gotten ahead of the curve of information they’d been planning to give him. The source could have been Spinel, but there were a number of powers Steven had begun to come into on his own. Rose had very few that might have allowed him to seek this information out, but the clever boy had already shown that his powers would not always be the same. It was just one of the many things that made his future harder to predict.

Similarly, without her awareness, the encounter with Jasper was a sign that his sense of empathy had begun to mature. Or perhaps already had. Jasper had been right in her assumption that she’d Seen no future in which the confrontation ended without violence, but her reasoning had been incorrect. Simply put, Steven was beginning to meet the role Rose left behind sooner than even her wildest predictions.

Thinking of him more like Rose and less like Steven smoothed a number of wrinkles, and left clear and readable directions the future might take. 

But Steven was not someone to be placed in a box. 

His thoughts and actions and feelings were his own, no matter how much of Rose’s legacy he might inherit. Treading the path she took seemed likely, but Garnet knew better than anyone that attempting to fill in for someone did not make you that person.

Steven’s future often looked much the same as Spinel’s, though the divides were much more thorough. The river did not split off into creeks and streams, but instead fell into wide channels, which split off farther and farther, all similarly intense. The minutia of any given day had very little impact, but it was easy to see where the boy’s interference created completely different futures. In some ways, it looked very much like his potential was unlimited, equal parts inspiring and daunting, the way all futures had looked before she refined her Sight.

It felt very much like both now.

Garnet blinked into the present, and after a moment, rose easily from her position. With the grace and care that came from millennia of practice, they planted a hand on the couch and pushed off, landing silently not far away. While focused on the future, it seemed Amethyst had disappeared. Giving the purple gem a cursory glance with her Vision, there was very little she might accomplish alone tonight, and everything indicated Amethyst would _stay_ alone. And though it had been an unlikely future, it seemed Pearl had begun to dream. The dream itself was of little concern, though, so she directed her attention to Steven and Connie.

Together, they had almost nothing but good futures. It was a refreshing constant she took solace in, when there was so much uncertainty. It put a smile on her lips, as she moved closer to Steven’s sleeping form.

“You’re going to be amazing.” She whispered, and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. The sleeping boy smiled.

And with that, Garnet left through the temple door into the Burning Room. Her _own_ room.

At once, the soft and even tones of the house outside melted away to gradients of red and burnt gold. The lava flowing through the narrow channels in the ground cast light up onto the semi-opaque bubbles scattered around, containing all of the gems and artifacts they’d managed to recover so far. The room stretched up for some distance, the latticed veins of the Crystal Heart pulsing dully to power the entire space’s existence. There was a true sense of harmony here, the location not entirely still, but in a constant ebb and flow. 

It inspired thought, and despite its contents, managed to be very relaxing.

Rose hadn’t said so with words, but it was still clear that she had expected her to lead. It was a great responsibility, but one that she was more than capable of accepting. There were times when it was difficult, putting on a strong face wasn’t always easy, but it was necessary to keep everyone together. They owed much to this world, and as its only remaining protectors, needed to be ready to act at any time.

Garnet’s eyes moved from bubble to bubble, visor off. The room also served as a good reminder of what could happen if she hadn’t seen something coming.

Eyes closed, every part of her focused on the future again. There wasn’t much use in over-analyzing any particular futures, but by making broad sweeps, perhaps she could be prepared for the next unlikely possibility. 

* * *

**Spinel** didn’t quite know how she’d gotten here, but it looked nice. ‘How’ kinda felt like it didn’t matter, somehow.

It was night, or something like it, since the sky was completely blank and dark. Still, there was light coming from some old-fashioned high-hanging lamp-posts over a narrow, even brick road. The bricks on the inside were red, the border was white, and beyond those things, there was just a bunch of neatly trimmed grass. It looked like the grass went on forever, with nothing else in sight. 

That felt fine. She didn’t need much right now.

The pink gem walked, and her steps didn’t squeak. There wasn’t any kinda noise at all, mostly, except for a little flickering noise coming from those lamp-posts. That was okay too.

The road didn’t look like it went on forever, but she couldn’t really get her eyes to focus on how it ended, either. It didn’t matter, though. There was nothing else to do.

  


The road was long.

  


The bricks still felt even, but her steps were a little slower. Something she couldn’t see was dragging at her feet, and made the lights behind her flicker. It didn’t make any noise, but it felt like it should.

  


Her steps definitely snagged on something that wasn’t there. It felt important.

  


A moment passed where she could almost place where this was, but in the moment she turned back to check, something else appeared first. A bright red swingset with two blue seats appeared a little ways off into the grass. For a moment, she hesitated, wanting to look back again, but… this felt better.

Her weight settled comfortably onto one of the seats, and there was another noise. The chains rattled for a moment and when gently swung, the whole thing creaked. It seemed to invite more noises, too, because now she could hear insects chirping and something else, too dull to be made out, but rhythmic and safe.

“Woah!”

Two hands pushed against her back suddenly, and at a glance it didn’t even look like anyone was there. Still, the swing creaked in the near-silence, and for some reason that made her want to laugh. Somehow, it was a little funny.

Before long, the pushing stopped, and all that momentum bled away.

Everything was still, and the moment it became still, all the other noises disappeared as well, except for that not-too-far-off lamp.

Something was grabbing at her feet again, moving up her legs.

She needed to stay ~~very~~ \--

Spinel kicked back against the ground beneath the swing, which was apparently sand now. There were little furrows dug in there, where she could swing her legs a lot more comfortably, and not long after she'd started moving on her own, those creaking sounds came back a little stronger, along with everything else. Whatever that rhythmic one was, it felt nice.

The road wasn’t much longer. It ended in a door, she could tell now, and after that swing-set, nothing tugged at her feet any more, though she could swear she felt something holding onto her hands.

The door was wooden, with a golden star at its center. It was hard to tell if the road kept going after that door, but…

“Spinel?” Steven’s voice came from the other side, muffled.

“Steven…?” She reached out, and for some reason it was hard to move her arms.

“Spinel!” It repeated.

Her hand wrapped around the crooked handle, and

“Spin--

♡♡♡~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~♡♡♡

\--el!” Steven finished. The kid’s eyes weren’t very concerned, but it was still there. She could feel his hand against her side, but it moved away when she started to stretch out. There was still a heavy blanket over her, comfortable and warm. Spinel blinked against the light coming through the beach house’s windows. It had to be pretty late in the day.

“Whuzza… you okay?” She managed after a little gibberish, because that was the thing that mattered first.

“Huh?” Steven asked, blinking as well. “N-No, I’m fine. You were kinda mumbling in your sleep though, a-and your gem was glowing so, I thought, maybe you were having… a bad dream?”

“What’s a bad dream?” The pink gem pushed off the sofa, sitting up, still quiet. Every part of her was running a little slow, so it took a second to process that she’d apparently been sleeping, too.

“Um, wow, you ask really good questions.” He started, taking a seat on one side. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and brought him against the blanket over her side. Steven seemed to appreciate it. “I guess, if you’ve never slept before…” He gestured with both his hands, in that animated way he often did. “It’s like a regular dream, except… it’s weird, but in a bad way? Like, you wake up and you’re even more tired than when you went to sleep.”

“Are dreams supposed to be weird?” She poked.

“I think so. They don’t always make sense, but usually they use some of the stuff you know, so you can stay asleep, I guess.”

“Sounds weird.” She delivered in a joking tone. It was hardly a joke, but it made him giggle anyways. The moment settled peaceably, and her eyes closed a moment to take in the sounds again. The shore wasn’t all that far off, and if she listened closely, she could hear some gulls squawking too. A little while later, she asked, “Do you get bad dreams?” 

“Sometimes.” He answered quickly. She wondered if last night had affected _him_ at all, but didn’t ask. “Everyone does, though. They just kinda happen.” A pause, where he looked up at her. “So, um, did you sleep well? Do you remember your dreams? Some people can’t, so, it’s okay if you don’t.”

“Wellll,” She grinned, dragging out the word. “After a grand total of sleeping once, and not even on purpose, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say I sleep _very_ well.” He laughed again, and it was still such a great sound to hear. It gave her time to come up with an answer worth the bright look in his eyes. “I guess it was alright? I feel pretty good, so it can’t have been a bad dream. Mostly I just did a lot of walking.”

“Well, that’s not too bad.”

“Naaah.”

Her eyes wandered around the place, seeing the other blankets folded up on the sofa, the TV turned off, and no one else around. At that, a bit of the haze from comfy jokes and sleep wore off. “So, where’d everyone go?”

“Oh!” Steven sat up, getting off the couch. “Well, Connie’s dad came by to pick her up like, six hours ago, and she told me to tell you ‘thanks’ and, ‘see you soon’, once you woke up. We forgot to set an alarm, but _Amethyst_ actually came out and woke us up in time for Connie to be ready to go, and she was pretty psyched about that. Uh, Pearl came out a little after that, but she was kinda too late to do anything but say bye to Connie, but before she went back into her room she said she’d have something for us to do later. Amethyst left out the front door, aaaand I haven’t seen Garnet all day.”

Spinel took a bit to process all that. “And that was a few hours ago?”

“Yeah.” He nodded.

“So you haven’t seen anyone else all day?”

“Nope. Just me.” He shook his head. “I-I mean, I think I _could_ have seen someone else, but I wanted to be here when you woke up.” There was a hand going through his hair.

Spinel had to pause at that, and ended up smiling. She kept that smile on while she looked around the empty house, as if seeing it for the first time. This wasn’t just ‘Steven’s house’, it was _Steven’s_ house. The Gems had their own rooms, and even with the way she’d been bumming from place to place, it wasn’t often that she spotted all three of them around here. It made sense, because there was a lot going on, but it also sounded like that wasn’t new to Steven.

Well. That just wouldn’t do.

“Hey, till Pearlie gets back, why don’t you and I do something?”

“Like what?”

She meshed her hands, elbows to knees, and propped her chin on them. “How about… whatever _you_ wanna do.”

Steven’s eyes lit up. It was maybe just a distraction for the both of them, but it would do for now. She’d make sure it did.

Time would keep passing, and things would change. But maybe, if she worked hard enough at it, she could figure out how to get things to change the way she wanted them to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As ever, thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed <3.
> 
> Also, I don't say things like this often, but comments go a long way in letting me know there's still interest. If you can't, or don't want to, don't worry, I still appreciate knowing that the story's being read. Personal stuff below.
> 
> Future's given me a lot to think about, and I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet. Ended up working pretty hard to get this out before those episodes tomorrow, though, so hopefully there aren't too many typos. I'm waiting til after it's over to get some more complete thoughts on the show, personally, so maybe I'll say something about it in spoiler tags next chapter.
> 
> Special thanks to the entire TAZ soundtrack for helping me out with this one, but especially [A Far Friendlier Robot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsuzJPiYdO8) and [Julia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roAM0b3o6CU).
> 
> Next up... I think we're gonna check in on our favorite little runaway. Who knows what she's been up to alone?


End file.
